Internal combustion engine



Feb. 1, 1938. c. H. WIEGMAN 2, ,098 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 11, 1951 gwwmtoz ELHEEJVEE'H M55175!!! v v M I Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES m tts PATENT orrles INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Clarence H. Wiegrnan, Detroit, lvliioh Car Company, Detroit,

to Packard Motor assignor Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application April 11, 1931, Serial No. 529,349

5 7 Claims.

' haust ports and their valve mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide an engine of the compression-ignition type in which the air intake port is arranged to induce movement of the air charges in a manner such that rotation thereof inthe associated cylinder is materially assisted.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide an engine in which the inlet and outlet ports extend perpendicular to the cylinder axis and through the wall thereof adjacent the head so that no valve housings and mechanism project beyond the top of the cylinder head.

A further object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine in which the cylinder is formed with a solid head from which fins extend throughout its area to provide a maximum heat transfer along this surface.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a cylinder of an engine, taken substantially on line Il of Fig. 2, illustrating my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the engine cylinder, taken on line'22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end view of one of the valve mechanisms and its housing with the cover plate removed. 7

Referring now to the drawing by characters of reference, I have illustrated my invention associated with an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which the air and fuel are mixed and compressed within a cylinder to form the fuel charge. A cylinder I9 is provided with circular cooling fins H and secured to one end of the cylinder, and preferably formed integrally therewith, is a solid head l2. There are no apertures or ports extending through the head, such as is customary with the poppet valve type of engine, and a plurality of fins l3 project from the outer wall of the head in spaced parallel relation. These fins are designed so that the spaces therebetween will provide channels extending in the direction of the air stream which is utilized to transfer heat from the engine.

The engine illustrated is of the four-cycle type and there is an air inlet port l4 and an exhaust outlet port !5 extendingthrough the rear portion of the cylinder wall adjacent the head. As sociated with the air inlet port is a housing I5 formed with a forwardly extending neck l1 having a passage l8 therethrough which communicates with and forms a continuation of the air inlet port i l. The air inlet, formed by the passage 58 through the neck and the port -I 4 through the cylinder, extends in a plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis and opens towardthe front of the engine and discharges tangentially of the rearmost portion of the cylinder wall. This port is preferably in the form of a venturi in order to speed up the travel of air therethrough. A housing It is associated with the cylinder and is provided with a passage which extends rearwardly from the cylinder in a plane perpendicular to the axis thereof and communicates with the exhaust outlet port It extending through the cylinder. The two housings l6 and i9 are each provided with a flat wall 42 'which bears against a flat surface on the boss 2! formed on the rear wall of the cylinder, and suitable securing means, such as bolts 22, fasten the housings to this boss. 7 The inner ends of the inlet and outlet ports are controlled by suitable valve means. As shown in the drawing there is a poppet valve 23 having a stem which extends through a portion of the housing l6 and having a head which cooperates with a seat formed in thecylinder wall. Aspring 24 bears against a retainer v25 secured to the valve stem and engages a seat in the housing so that it normally holdsthe valve in seated relation. This valve is opened by mechanism operated in a conventional manner by a moving part of the engine, not shown, which can be similar in construction to the mechanism for operating the exhaust valve 26. A stem of the exhaust 'valve; extends through awall of the housing 19 and the head thereof cooperates with a seat formed in the cylinder wall to close or open the port l5. There is a guide member 21 associated with the housing through which the valve stem extends and a coil spring 28 is arranged between a flanged portion of the guide and a retainer 29 which is secured to the valve stem. Within the housing [9 there is pivoted a bell crank 38 which is actuated to open the valve by means of push rod mechanism 3! actuated by a moving part of the engine in a conventional manner. The spring 28 normally maintains the exhaust valve in closed position and said valve is opened through the push rod actuating the bell crank.

The end of the housings can be closed by a cover, as indicated at 32.

It will be observed that the air intake and exhaust valves open inwardly of the cylinder and adjacent the'head, and the piston 33 reciprocating within the cylinder is provided with a pocket 43 which extends adjacent the valves.

This pocket is semi-circular in cross-section taken transversely of the piston axis and is of a depth such that it extends beyond the valve heads when the piston is at top dead center position. Air is drawn into'the cylinder during the suction stroke 7 of the piston through the passage l8 and the port l4'and tangentially to the rearwall of the cylinder so that it will be introduced ina manner to cause its rotation within the cylinder and substantially without interference by the valve l4. During the compression stroke'of the piston, the rotating air is compressed and is finally contained within the pocket portion'of the piston and the associated walls of the cylinder where the rotation is continued, and atomized liquid fuel under a high compression is introducedby means of the nozzle 34. The nozzle can be of any con ventional type for injecting'atomized liquid fuel in variable quantities into the cylinder, and inthis and, consequently, when the engine is employed V as the power plant of an aeroplane, the resistance to travel is materially lessened, as compared with engines in which the valve and Valve housings project through andare associated on top of the cylinder heads. In addition, this arrangement of the ports and valves permits the operating mechanism for the valves to be arranged at the rear of the cylinders, and it also allows the fuel injection device to be arranged at the rear of the cylinder so that fuel can be injected into a combustion space formed bythe piston pocket which at the same time permits clearance of the valves, and thus a high compression ratio can be attained. The arrangement of the fins entirely across the cylinder head provides a heat transfer efllciency which cannot be attained when valve housings are secured upon the cylinder head,and as a result a high rate of heat, transfer ensues.

While I have herein described in some detail a specific embodiment of my invention, which I deem to be new and advantageous and may, specifically claim, I do not desire it to be understood that my invention is limited to' the exact details of the construction, as it will be apparent that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

what I claim is 2' 1. In an internal combustion engine, a'cylinder,

a head at one end of the cylinder, said cylinder having air inlet and exhaust outlet ports extend ing therethrough adjacent the head, said ports extending substantially. tangentially of the cylinder wall, and valves associated with the interior ends of the ports and extending radially of the cylinder.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having a head at one end'and air inlet and exhaust outlet ports extending therethrough at an obtuse angle relatively and tangentially of the inner wall of the cylinder, inwardly opening valves extending radially through the cylinder wall and controlling said ports, and a piston in the cylinder having a segmental recess in the head end providing a combustion chamber *and a clearance forthe valves when in open position.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a joy]- inder having a head at one end and airinlet and exhaust outlet ports," said ports extending through the cylinder in a relatively close relation 7 and tangentially of the v inner surface of the cylinder, inwardly opening valves "extending ra dially' through the cylinder wall controlling said ports, a piston having ahead with a segmental recessed portion providing clearance space for. the valves when open and' a combustion chamber,

and an injection deviceextending through the cylinder wall intermediate the ports, said injection device being arranged to discharge fuel into the combustion chamber in a direction whereby the incoming air willtraverse the same.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having ahead at one end, saidcylinder being formed with an air inlet passage and an exhaust outlet passage extending therethrough adjacent the head, said passages being substantially straight and tangential to the inner wall of the cylinder, valves opening inwardly of said cylinder and engageable with the inner ends of said passages, said valves having stems extending radially of the cylinder and in an angular relation to the axes of thepassages, and a piston in said cylinder having a segmental pocket inthe end affording clearance for the valves when open and forming a combustion chamber with the: adjacent cylinder walls. '1

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having'a head at one end, said cylinder being formed with; an air inlet 'passage'and an exhaust outlet passage extending therethrough adjacent the head, said passages being angularly disposed relatively with the inlet passage opening at the front of the cylinder and the outlet passage open ing towards the rear of the cylinder, said passages being tangentially disposed with respect to the inner wall of the cylinder, and valves controlling the flow through such passages.

CLARENCE WIEGMAN. 

